Research confirms: strawberries protect stomach from alcohol

Strawberries are good for you but having them in a cocktail may make them even healthier, a study suggests.

A team of Italian, Serbian and Spanish researchers confirmed the protective effect of strawberries in the stomach of a mammal affected by alcohol, said on Monday the University of Granada, who participated in this study.

A researcher at the University of Barcelona (UB) and co-author of the work, Sara Tulipani, explained that the positive effects of strawberries are associated with antioxidant capacity, which activate enzymes and their own body’s defenses.

The conclusions of the study showed that a diet rich in berries may have a beneficial effect in the prevention of gastric diseases, so that this fruit could attenuate the formation of stomach ulcers in humans.

The fruit contains compounds that can protect against cancer, heart disease and arthritis.

But having them with alcohol, such as in a daiquiri, boosts these antioxidant properties, the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture says.

Nutritionists said the “detrimental effects” of such drinks could cancel out such benefits.

The most common cocktail to include strawberries is the daiquiri – which also includes lime or lemon juice, strawberry liqueur, sugar – and rum.

The researchers, from the Kasetsart University in Thailand and the US Department of Agriculture Research Service, were actually looking for more effective ways of keeping fruit fresh during storage.

‘Detrimental effects’

They found that treating strawberries with alcohol enhanced the antioxidant capacity within the fruit – which boosts the fruit’s power to neutralise destructive molecules called free radicals – by a third.

They are linked to a wide range of diseases and are thought to be one of the chief causes of ageing.

Treating blackberries in the same ways also had beneficial effects.

But Dr Frankie Phillips of the British Dietetic Association said: “It’s well known that some preparation of fruit and veg can enhance the availability of nutrients and other plant chemicals including antioxidants.